‘Dark Side of the Moon, ‘ and ‘Bit of Honey; ‘ among new, colorful… – Vermont Public
It’s no mistake that gardening catalogs and websites feature the newest, brightly-colored plus unusual perennial plants in the coldest, darkest months. So, start perusing now to see what catches your eye and make a list of some new perennials to try come spring!
Some perennials (those are the kinds of plants that grow in springtime and summer, die back in fall, overwinter, then grow back again the following spring) like astilbe, dianthus and helopsis make great choices for our growing zone. These plants are hardy to Zone 4 plus should do well in all parts of Vermont, except for more mountainous areas.
These vegetation are beautiful to look at, not to mention their blooms attract helpful pollinators.
And there are several varieties of each type that can pack the colorful punch in your own gardens plus borders.
Astilbe is a shade plant with dark green leaves and usually grows white, pink or red plants. But a variety called Dark Side of the particular Moon that grows two or three feet tall has black-colored leaves and purple blossoms.
Dianthus or Sweet William has silvery blue foliage plus spiky bouquets that resemble little carnations. One variety is part of the Fruit Punch series, known as Funky Fuschia . This dianthus variety boasts double blooms that will make excellent cut blooms.
Heliopsis grow to about 3 feet high and look such as small sunflowers. One range that grows to just 2 feet tall and will fit in a small space is called Bit associated with Honey , with variegated yellow and green simply leaves. This one adds contrast in order to your gardens even when its not really in bloom.
Sedum is a mounding plant that is perfect with regard to hot, dry spaces within your garden or landscape. A series with red stems plus green leaves called, Rockin’ Round, offers a variety with yellow flowers called, Bright Idea .
One Russian sage variety, called, Perovskia Bluesette develops to only one to two feet tall, and would work well in the backyard or in a container. Most Ruskies sages develop three or even four ft tall and then flop over, making this compact one a nice alternative.
Q: I enjoyed your National Gardening Association talk about Epsom salts. What are your thoughts on fertilizing orchids with a weak Epsom salt solution? – Brad, within Kansas City, MO
A: Orchids do like magnesium, and Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate. This does help orchids grow and flower better.
Just be cautious. Start by looking at the ingredients on the particular fertilizer that you’re using for your own orchids. If it already contains magnesium (mg), hold off on the Epsom salts.
In case you don’t see any magnesium in the fertilizer’s ingredient list, go ahead and try it at a very low level. Start with a teaspoon of Epsom salts in a gallon of water plus use that will maybe three times a year as the orchid is starting to get growing and sending up a flower stock.
One way to track progress is to use the solution on one orchid and not upon another plus see if there are usually any differences.
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